MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on a common charger for mobile radio equipment
22.1.2020 - (2019/2983(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 132(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Andreas Schwab, Róża Thun und Hohenstein, Antonius Manders, Ivan Štefanec, Edina Tóth, Pablo Arias Echeverría, Tomislav Sokol, Maria da Graça Carvalho
on behalf of the PPE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0070/2020
B9‑0070/2020
European Parliament resolution on a common charger for mobile radio equipment
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999/5/EC,
– having regard to the Memorandum of Understanding regarding harmonisation of a charging capability for mobile phones of 5 June 2009,
– having regard to the Memorandum of Understanding on the future common charging solution for smartphones of 20 March 2018,
– having regard to the Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the operation of the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU of 11 November 2018,
– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the single market has been, and remains, the basis for Europe’s economic success, as well as the cornerstone of European integration and an engine for growth and jobs;
B. whereas the potential of the single market is not being fully exploited;
C. whereas for more than 10 years Members of the European Parliament have been campaigning for a common charger for mobile radio equipment, including mobile phones, tablets, e-book readers, smart cameras, wearable electronics and other medium- or small-sized electronic devices;
D. whereas despite the Commission’s efforts, voluntary agreements between industry players have not produced satisfactory results, and consumers are still obliged to buy new chargers with all new devices;
E. whereas around 50 million metric tons of e-waste is generated globally per year, with an average of more than 6 kg per person; whereas the total e-waste generation in Europe in 2016 was 12.3 million metric tons, amounting to 16.6 kg on average per person[1];
F. whereas consumer trends in the past 10 years show an increase in multi-device ownership and even shorter life cycles of some radio equipment such as smartphones; whereas older equipment is often replaced not when it is broken or obsolete but simply because it is seen as outdated;
G. whereas when travelling, consumers are effectively forced to carry with them different chargers for similar devices, which therefore restricts EU citizens’ freedom of movement and full participation in society; whereas this practice generates an unnecessary environmental footprint;
H. whereas people now depend on their mobile devices in the event of an emergency, also because of the lack of public telephones; whereas people need a charged mobile phone for example to make payments, search for information, as a navigation device, etc.;
1. Strongly stresses that there is an urgent need for EU action to reduce the amount of electronic waste, empower consumers to make sustainable choices, and allow them to fully participate in an efficient and properly functioning internal market;
2. Emphasises the need for a standard for a common charger for mobile radio equipment to be adopted as a matter of urgency in order to avoid any further fragmentation of the internal market;
3. Calls therefore on the Commission to adopt the delegated act supplementing Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment or another legislative measure by July 2020 at the latest, which would introduce the common charger without further delay;
4. Calls on the Commission to present without further delay the results of the impact assessment on the introduction of common chargers for mobile telephones and other compatible devices;
5. Points out that the use of wireless charging technology offers additional potential benefits; therefore calls on the Commission to take measures to best ensure the interoperability of different wireless chargers with different mobile radio equipment;
6. Believes that the Commission should consider legislative initiatives to increase the volume of cables and chargers collected and recycled in the Member States;
7. Urges the Commission to ensure that consumers are no longer obliged to buy new chargers with each new device, thereby reducing the amount of cables and chargers produced per year;
8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.
- [1] The Global E-waste Monitor 2017: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Climate-Change/Documents/GEM%202017/Global-E-waste%20Monitor%202017%20.pdf